William f



(No Model.)

W! P MERGER.

WRENCH.

No. 455,225. Patented June 30,1891.

IIIVENTUR William fl/yercer,

8 E 8 8 E N T I W A TTORIIEYJ UNITED STATES PATENT O EICE.

WILLIAM F.

JOHN A. PFEIFER, OF SAME PLACE.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 455,225, dated June30, 1891.

Application filed October 8, 1890. Serial No, 367,455. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. MERCER, a citizen of the United States,residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in renches, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to wrenches of that class in which a stationary andmovable jaw are employed, said movable jaw being actuated byspring-power and normally held in engagement with the stationary jaw.

The objects of myinvention are to provide an automatic wrench of thisclass which shall be simple in its construction and operation, toprovide an integral Wrench-handle and stationary jaw, to provide anintegral locking-pawl and trigger, to provide means for Supporting thesliding jaw-bar in such position within the stationary jaw or handle asto prevent the teeth of said jaw-bar from coming into contact with thestationary jaw, to combine with said wrench means for limiting themovement of the sliding jaw-bar, and to construct my improved wrenchin-a neat form and of comparatively few parts. These objects Iaccomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a viewin perspective of my improved wrench with thesliding jaw-bar partly withdrawn from the handle. Fig. 2 is a centralvertical longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a transversesection on line a: so of Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

(4 represents the wrench-handle, which is provided, as shown, with ahollow interior. This handle-piece has its forward end portion slightlyenlarged, as shown, to form a stationary jaw b, the outer end of saidjaw being solid, with the exception of an opening (Z in the upperportion thereof, which communicates with the hollow interior of thehandle.

0 represents the sliding jaw-bar, which has formed in its outer orforward end the outer jaw c of the wrench. This sliding jaw-bar entersthe handle a through the jaw-opening (Z and is movably supportedtherein. The inner or rear end of the sliding jaw-bar c is 'clined teeth7t,

provided with an extension in the form of a pin f. The combined lengthof the extensionpinfand the jaw-bar c is such that when the jaws c and bare in contact with each other the rear end of said pin is in closeproximity to the rear end of the handle-hollow. Loosely surrounding thejaw extension pin f is a coiled spring g, one end of which bears againstthe inner surface of the rear end of the handle and the forward end ofwhich bears against the rear end of the jaw-bar body. The centralportion of the jaw-bar o is provided with transverse forwardly inclinedteeth or notches 7a.

2' represents a lockin g pawl or latch, which is journaled slightly inrear of the center of its length upon a transverse pin 79, which extendsbetween the sides of the handlepiece at a point beneath the sliding bar0 and in close proximity to the under side of the handle-piece. Thispawl 2' has its forward end terminating within the jaw b in closeproximity to the forward end of the latter, and

has formed on the upper side of its forward end portion a short row ofrearwardly-inwhich are normally held in engagement with the teeth h ofthe sliding bar 0 by the upward pressure of a short vertical coiledspring m, which bears between the under side of the toothed pawl-headand the innersurface of the jaw 12. The rear end portion of the pawlt'projects, as shown, in the form of a trigger 11 through a slottedopening a, formed in the under side of the handle-piece. v

t" represents a log or enlargement, which is formed with the pawl on theupper side thereof and in rearof the pawl pivot-point.

Formed in the upper surface of the sliding bar 0, between the rear endand the center of the length thereof, is a longitudinal groove or way1), into which projects the lower end of a short vertical pin or key g,which is driven through the upper side of the framepiece.

From the construction shown and described it will be seen that thetension of the coiled spring m will operate to hold the teeth of thepawl-head in engagement with the teeth of the sliding bar, and that saidpawl will thus operate to lock the sliding bar in the desired It will beobserved that the parts contained in my device are few and that theirconnections and operation are simple and positive.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wrench, the combination, with the hollow handle and rearstationary jaw formed therewith, of a spring -actuated sliding jawbarsupported within said handle, the groove 19, formed in said sliding bar,and a rigid stoppin q, projecting within said groove, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a wrench, the combination, with ahollowhandle-pieceandstationaryjawformed therewith, of a sliding jaw-barc, actuated by position. It being desired to increase the distancebetween the wrench-jaws, the lower or projecting trigger end n of thepawl 'i is pressed upward until the said pawl'iis released fromengagement with the sliding bar, when the tension of the bar-spring gwill operate to drive outward the sliding bar. The outward movement ofthe sliding bar will be limited by the contact of the pin q and theshoulder at the end of the bar-groove 19. As the rear end of the pawl iselevated, it will be observed that the pawl-lug 1' is made to bearagainst the under side of the sliding bar, and thus retain said bar atsuch elevation during its sliding movement as will prevent any injuriouscontact of the bar-teeth and the metal of the stationary jaw at the baseof the opena spring, as described, teeth It on said bar, ing (1. pivotedpawl o, the toothed head of which is I am awarethatwrenches havebeenformed normally held in engagement with the barheretofore in which aspring actuated jaw teeth h by a coiled spring as described, a has beenlocked by a toothed pawl and that bar-bearing lug i, and an outerprojecting said pawls have been operated by a trigger; trigger 02,formed integral with said pawl,

substantially as described.

\YILLIAH F. MERCER. In presence of BARTON GRIFFITH, O. C. SHEPHERD.

but it will be observed that in the herein-described pawl are combinedboth a trigger and bearing for the sliding bar and that said trigger andbar are pawl.

formed integral with said

